The 2024 Paris Paralympics take place over the next week and a half.
The Games have taken center stage little over two weeks after the Olympic Games concluded in the French capital, with hundreds of paralympic athletes vying for gold in their different categories.
The inaugural Olympic Games were held in 1896, while the Paralympics began in 1960.
And, over the years, numerous athletes have competed in both the Olympics and the Paralympics; let’s have a look at some of the members of the select club.
Who has competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics?
There have been 15 people who have competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics.
Some were Olympians who later competed in the Paralympics for a variety of reasons. One of the competitors has also won medals in both events.
Here are some athletes who have participated at both Games over the years.
Neroli Fairhall
Archer Neroli Fairhall from New Zealand
Neroli Fairhall MBE hailed from New Zealand and was the first paraplegic and disabled competitor in the Olympics. She won one Paralympics gold medal.
She was injured in a motorcycle accident when she was just 25 and became paralysed from the waist down.
It wasn’t until being encouraged byNew Zealand’s renowned disabled athlete, Eve Rimmer, that Neroli discovered her talent as an archer.
She competed in Archery in the 1980 Arnhem Paralympics, before being accepted to be compete in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The skilled athlete later competed in the 1988 Seoul and 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
Marla Runyan
Runner Marla Runyan from America
Marla Runyan became the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics.
The American athlete has won five Paralympic gold medals and has participated in an array of events including long jump, 100, 200 and 400 metre races and cycling.
She competed in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, and later the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics.
Natalia Partyka
Polish table tennis competitor Natalia Partyka
Natalia Partyka is a Polish table tennis player and a renowned Paralympics and Olympics competitor.
She was born without a right hand but competed in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics when she was just 11 years old, and was the youngest Paralympian in the sport’s history.
During her time competing in the Paralympics so far, she has won five gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal, while she reached the last 32 of the Olympic event in 2012.
Oscar Pistorius
Pistorius is now best-known for all the wrong reasons
Pistorius is arguably the most well-known duel Olympian and Paralympian of all time – but this is now not what the South African is best-known for.
The 37 year-old, who had both of his legs amputated when he was just 11 months old due to fibular hemimelia, has won eight Paralympic medals with five of his six golds coming in the 100m, 200m and 400m.
Pistorius became the first debut amputee runner to feature at an Olympic games at London 2012, eventually finishing eighth and last in the 400m semi-finals, before being chosen to carry the South African flag in the closing ceremony.
But in 2015, Pistorius was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, having shot her dead at home in February 2013.
Pistorius, who has maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, was released from prison in January 2024 after serving just over half of his sentence.
Ilke Wyludda
Germany’s Ilke Wyludda is a discus thrower
German discus thrower Ilke Wyludda competed in the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She has won one Olympic gold medal over the years.
However, in January 2011 she had to have her right leg amputated due to Sepsis.
She refused to let that stop her and continued to compete in para-sport competitions. In 2012, she participated in the London Paralympics.